On Friday completed a major 3 month project that required working many more hours than normal. To celebrate I plan on working 20 hours a week for the next month and went home Friday night with the intention of opening some celebration wines. Opened a Loire Sparkler on Friday night and a Bordeaux on Saturday night

Brut de Savoie, Pierre Boniface - I struggle with Champagne and have found if I cannot drink the really good stuff I find more enjoyment with sparklers. Love Prosecco, sparkling Loire and yes, for $13, domestic Gruet. Unfortunately this did not float my boat. Loire missed it this time and the wine, in my wife's words, "has no flavors". Good bubbles, OK acidity, tickled the tongue but where's the meat. It was not bad but just nothing that good, like drinking sparkling water with a little depth. The last glass was better as it reached room temperature but hey, if I wanted a still wine I would have opened one. Guess I should not get my $15 QPR recs from the distributor roaming the wine store floor.

'70 Lascombs - Back to my roots and drinking from an area that I somewhat understand. Have had many bottles of this wine and the only concern is condition and storage. You have to give the wine 30 minutes to open as the first slurp is always non descript. How perky would you be if you were stuffed in a bottle for almost 35 years. The wine blossoms and the nose is fantastic, half the fun in drinking an old Bordeaux. This particular bottle was in perfect condition, bright and clear with only a touch of browning on the edges. Thought for a long time for a fruit adjective and came up with ripe bing cherries. The tannins were long gone and complexity ruled. Balanced with a touch of acidity in the background. This particular bottle would not get any better but seemed like it would have lasted many more years. The finish was very long and the tastes lingered on the palate. This was a home run wine and the reason I cellar wines. Don't drink this at a tasting as it will get lost with all the heathen pointy wines, just open it and spend the night playing with it.